title: Epilepsy.
abstract: Noninvasive brain stimulation, particularly transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), are emerging as realistic tools for seizure control. Numerous open-label trials and a few recent randomized controlled trials suggest the capacity of both techniques to suppress seizures. Additionally, specialized TMS protocols aimed to map cortical function and to measure cortical excitability may have realistic roles as diagnostic tools in epilepsy. As the prevalence of drug-resistant epilepsy has not changed in recent years, TMS and tDCS offer noninvasive and nonpharmacological options to improve control of intractable seizures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: alexander.rotenberg@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: TMS; cortical excitability; noninvasive brain stimulation; seizures; tDCS